Nigeria A Power Hub In The Making — Ex-Mauritius President

The first female president of Mauritius, Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, believes Nigeria is on the path to becoming Africa’s powerhouse.

Gurib-Fakim said this on Thursday during the Imo State Economic Summit 2025 held in Owerri.

“It is a power hub in the making and interestingly we have got some of the richest and most entrepreneurs coming out of this nation for example the expansion of Dangote Group across Africa,” she said at the event.

The ex-president asked African countries to take destiny in their hands, identifying leadership as a key ingredient to help the continent reach its potential.

She praised the resilience of Nigerian youth, hailing their talent and energy.

Gurib-Fakim said, “If you look at the country like Nigeria, ladies and gentlemen, Nigeria, one in five Africans is Nigeria and this will stand to rise because by 2050, one in two working age adults will be African and by 2100 one in two will be African and you can imagine in terms of demography what this represents in terms of potential and Nigeria is a powerhouse.

“So, hope is permitted and allowed. And I have no reason to believe that this country of Nigeria will not do well in the future because Nigeria, just like Africa, Nigeria is rising,” the former president told the gathering.

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The former president was not the only high-profile dignitary from within and outside the continent that attended the event.

At the ceremony, Dangote commended President Bola Tinubu for his efforts and bold economic steps like the removal of subsidy.

According to him, the benefits of the moves have tricked down to every Nigerian. He asked Nigerian entrepreneurs to invest at home and help in attracting foreign investments.

Others who were at the outing included the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson; Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; Vice President Kashim Shettima among others.